Abstract:

Considering the importance of mastery of grammar in EFL contexts, the need for maximizing learning opportunities is an undeniable fact especially since most students are only half-aware of the grammatical structures through being exposed to them while doing skills work (reading, listening, etc.). This in itself celebrates what students can do and precisely clarifies what still needs to be worked on (Scrivener, 2006). In the present research, through an experimental study, the comparative effect of using three different approaches in teaching grammar, namely, Context-Build known as Presentation Practice Production, Test-Teach-Test, and Text-Based on EFL learners’ grammar achievement was investigated. To fulfill such a goal, a sample of 90 Iranian EFL female intermediate level learners aged 14-16 took part in the study. They were homogenized in terms of their language proficiency and chosen from among a total number of 140 students using a piloted sample Preliminary English Test (PET, Cambridge, ESOL). Following this, the participants were randomly assigned to three experimental groups and sat a researcher-made 30-item grammar test to maintain a baseline of their grammatical knowledge. Upon the commencement of the treatment which lasted for 15 sessions, the same grammatical structures including ‘present continuous’, ‘past simple’, ‘past continuous’, ‘comparative adjectives’ and ‘superlative adjectives’ were taught applying the three aforementioned different approaches in teaching grammar. In the Test-Teach-Test group the researcher instigated the use of the specific grammatical structure through oral practice, then noting the errors she taught them and asked the students to perform a similar task. In the Context-Build group the researcher provided oral context for the specific form, elicited examples and wrote the correct examples on board and highlighted the form. As for the Text-Based group the students read a text and answered comprehension questions and found examples of grammatical points. At the end of the intervention, the same 30-item researcher-made grammar test was administered as the posttest to estimate the participants’ knowledge of mentioned grammar forms. The statistical analysis applied was ANCOVA with the pretest scores as the covariate and the posttest scores as the dependent variable, the results of which indicated a significant difference between the three experimental groups in their grammar knowledge. According to the findings, learners in Test-Teach-Test group outperformed Context-Build group learners. Moreover, learners who learnt the grammatical points by Context-Build approach were better than Text-Based group. Overall, it was demonstrated that Test-Teach-Test approach had the most statistically significant positive effect on grammar achievement of intermediate EFL learners, followed by Context- Build approach and leaving the least amount of achievement to students who went through Text-Based approach. This study has implications for learners, teachers, and materials developers as grammar achievement provides the right condition for language acquisition, interaction, and development of language skills.

Keywords:

Context build approach, teach-test-teach approach, text based approach, grammar achievement.